Ceiling suspension system and panel



June '23, 1970 c. w. SAWYER 3,516,212

CEILING susrnusxou SYSTEM AND PANEL Filed March 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (bar/es W Jaw er INVENT R.

BY (A) ATT QNE) June 23, 1970 Filed March 26, 1968 W fdwyzr INVENTOR.

United States Patent US. Cl. 52--592 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved ceiling suspension system and panel therefor in which a ceiling panel or tile has an elongated,

bendable suspension member secured .to and along one edge of the back-surface thereoffor simple installation of the panel to form a ceiling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention l The field of the invention is building construction, and more specifically light commercial or .residentialconstruction. a

Description of the prior art Ceiling tiles or panels are quite frequently used for sound absorption and decorative purposes in residential and commercial installations. Some of themethbds available for installationof such panels are (l) adhesive application to an overhead support; (2) nailing or stapling the panels to furring. strips, or .(3) supporting the panels on separate grid suspension s ystems Eachof these methods has disadvantages which, if, avoided, would render theinstallation of such panels inreside'ntial construction moreappealing, especially to 'thejhomeowner who would perform such installation by himself. l

The installation ofpanels or ,tiles-using adhesive is a messy chore at best and requires a rather uniforrnflat overhead structure. This method is'generally employed where the prior ceiling is. structurally soundbut its appearance and' sound absorbing characteristics are to be improved by installing ceiling panels. Additionally, pipes or ducts which may lie bclowthe ceiling require that special structures be constructed around them when the panels are adhesively held below the overhead members.

The use of wooden furring strips adds additional cost as Well as extra labor in installation. Furthermore, pipes or ducts also require special construction methods; thus, causing extra labor and expense. Moreover, the placement of the furring strips at predetermined spacings entails lost time and effort.

In residential construction, and particularly in remodelling work by the homeowner himself, the cost of a separate grid suspension system is usually prohibitive. Moreover, the skill involved in the level alignment of the grid system is generally more than that possessed by the average homeowner.

In contrast to the disadvantages of the prior art means for placement of ceilings, the present invention provides a simple economical means for installing a ceiling by unskilled hands in a short period of time without additional expensive parts.

The ceiling panel has laminated to its back surface an elongated, bendable suspension member of relatively stiff paperboard, thin plastic material or the like. By factory prescoring the stiff but bendable member longitudinally, provision is made for securing the ceiling a predetermined distance below the overhead to clear any pipes or ducts which may be exposed below the overhead.

By insuring that the score lines are parallel to the face of the panel, and spaced at predetermined distances from each other the ceiling as installed will be fiat and horizontal; so that the individual adjustments usually required in a grid system are eliminated. Further, large ceiling panels can be easily accommodated in this fashion, thus, markedly reducing the installation time.

As will be further explained, packaging of the panels of the invention is simplified and reinforcing package strips can be eliminated while protection is still given the panels.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel ceiling panel adapted for easy installation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel ceiling panel having an integral suspension system forming a part thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel ceiling panel which is capable of simple installation by inexperienced people.

It is yet another object of the present .invention to provide a novel ceiling panel which has an integral suspension system which has a relatively stiff member scored inpredetermined areas for easy adjustment in installation.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like members indicate like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ceiling panel of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ceiling panel of the invention, as installed in its conventional environment;

thoseelements, commonly called ceiling tiles, which are generally square in exposed area. It will be readi y apparent that the invention is more advantageously applicable to panels, but its usefulness should not be so circumscribed.

L-Referring tor/the. drawings, andv more particularly to FIG. 1, there is therein shown a ceiling panel 10, having a length greatly exceeding its width and of relatively small thickness. More specifically, such panels are about two feet wide, six feet long and one inch thick. These dimensions, however, vary greatly in accordance with the preference of the manufacturer. The panel 10 may be fiberboard, plywood or similar material. If desired the panels may serve as an acoustical treatment as well as a decorative function.

For ease of alignment, the panels are manufactured with tongues 12 and grooves 14 arranged along their sides 17 and 18 and end edges 20. As a suspension member, a sheet of stiff paper 25 is glued or otherwise secured to the back face 28 of panel 10 and is arranged so that it lies adjacent to and parallel to a side 14 thereof. The relatively stilf paper may be cardboard or pressed board with score lines 30 cut or impressed into its surface. Score lines 30 are parallel to the edge of panel 10 and are spaced at suitable distances from each other, preferably on one inch centers. Score lines 30 function as a simple means for spacing the panel 10 a desired distance below the overhead joists. As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, suspension member 25 is folded along its uppermost score line 30 forming an outwardly extending flange 31 which is secured to overhead joists 35 by staples 40. It should be recognized that any of the H intermediate score lines 30 could be selected if the desired distance between the joists 35 and the panels were smaller. Consequently, it can be seen that the height of the ceiling formed by panels 10 can be varied quite easily.

The installation of the ceiling panels of the invention is very simple. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a suitable wall molding 51 is secured to two adjacent sidewalls 50 of a room along a line a premeasured distance below the overhead joists 35. This premeasured distance should be such that the panel will be suspended below the joists by a distance equal to that of a convenient score line 30 from the back surface of the panel. To provide accommodations for pipes 55, conduits or other structures which may extend below the joists, a portion of the paperboard suspension member 31 can be cut away; as at 56. Since the material is stiff paperboard, the cutting step can be done with conventional scissors, and does not require special cutting tools.

After the wall molding 51 is in place, one of the panels is lifted into place so that an edge and end rest on the upper surface of the wall molding 51 and the panel fits into a corner of the room. Panel 60 is shown in FIG. 2 as the corner panel. The suspension member is folded along the upper scoreline in this example, although it should be realized that, if convenient, any other score line could be selected. Staples are driven through the flange 31 formed by folding the suspension membe outwardly along score line 30.

Subsequently panel 61 is lifted into place and its tongue 12 is pushed into groove 14 of panel to support its leading edge '65. The trailing edge '66 of panel 61 is secured to joist 35 by staples 40 in flange 71 of its suspension member 75. In the same manner other panels are placed in position to complete the ceiling except for the last row of panels. The panels in the last row cannot be stapled since they close the area. They are put up with their tongues engaging the grooves of the panels in the next to the last row and then trailing edges are pushed up against the wall. A slight wedging action takes place and the panels in the ceiling are held tightly to form a level ceiling. To complete the ceiling the remaining wall molding is installed as a final trim.

It is thus seen that the unique panel with its pre-attached stiff paperboard suspension member enables one to easily and quickly assemble a ceiling. The assembled ceiling is decorative and relative economical.

As an additional feature of the invention, the panels lend themselves to a more economical and facile packaging arrangement. Reference maybe hadto FIG. 4

which illustrates the manner in which the panels 10 may be assembled for packaging. One half the panels 10 are reversed with respect to the other half so that the suspension members 25 extend upwardly along one edge of the panels and downwardlyalong their opposite edges. In this fashion, the longitudinal edges which are tongues and grooves are protected and the usual heavy protective packings can be eliminated. In fact the panels can be shipped with strapping replacing more conventional cartons. In summary, a novel ceiling panel and ceiling structure are shown for easy assembly and packaging.

Iclaimy.

1. A combined ceiling panel and suspension member comprising an unscored, rigid, fiberboard ceiling panel, adapted to' be suspended from an overhead structure, having a front surface,-a rear surface and parallel edges, said edges having grooves and flanges interengageable with corresponding grooves and flanges on abutting panels, and one stiff pressed paperboard suspension member, thin relative to said panel, said suspension member having a first portion secured onto said rear surface adjacent and parallel to one of said edges, a second portion integral with said first portion and hingedly extending away from "said rear surface'and further having a flange portion thereof integral with said second portion and remote from said first portion for securement to said overhead structure.

2. A ceiling panel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said suspension member has a plurality of score lines parallel 'to said rear surface of said panel and to each other, said score lines being spaced at predetermined distances from each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,987,537 1/1935 Oehrlein et al. 52 2,619,685 12/1952 Kjaer 52-,-9s x 3,241,280 3/1966-v Kreuzer 52484 X FOREIGN PATENTS r 682,550 11/1952 Great'Britain.

ALFRED c. PERHAM, Primary Examiner I US. 01. X.R. 52 9s, 173, 485; 161--102 

